Thread printing apparatus



April 19, 1932. v D. B. BONNER 1,854,366

THREAD PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 1, 1930 4 t s 1 :33 I INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 19, 1932. D. BJBONNER 1,854,366

THREAD PRINTING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 1. 1930 4 Shets-S heet 2 INVENTOR z [jaw/14W April 19, 1932; D. B. BONNER 1,854,366

THREAD PRINTING IAPPARATUS Filed Feb. 1. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 W dwzzm BY W ATTORNEY5 April 19, 1932. D. B. BONNER 1,354,366

THREAD PRINTING APPARATUS 7 Filed Feb. 1. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEY$ Patented Apr. 19, 1932 arsnr OFFICE}- DANIEL BUTLER BONNER, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANTA THREAD PRINTING APPARATUS n Application filed February 1, 1930. Serial No. 425,093.

This invention relates to improvements in thread printing apparatus and is particularly useful for printing color on yarn which is ultimately to be made into carpets.

The invention is an improvement of the thread printing apparatus of my copending application Serial No.393,544, filed September 18, 1929, and relates particularly to improvement-s in selector or control devices for apparatus of the type exemplified in that application.

One of the primary objects of my invention residesin the simplification of the means for controlling the rotation of thread carrying drums to prescribed different printing positions.

A more specific object of my invention resides in the provision of a simple and-inexpensive selector or control wheel .forapparatus of the class described. 7 0

Another object of my invention is the provision of a simple control wheel for apparatus of the class described which is mounted to rotate with and at the same speed as the thread carrying drum.

How the foregoing, together with such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter a'ppear, or are incident to my invention, are realized, is illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings where- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an appa'r'atfis constructed in accordance with my invention, with certain parts which appear fully in other viewsomitted or shown diagrammatically.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged. fragmentary view of a portion of the apparatus looking toward the right in Fig. 1 and showing clearly certain parts which have been omitted in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3' to 8 inclusive are enlargedfragmentary views of trip or control mechanism which I employ, Figs. 5, 7 and 8 being sections taken substantially on the lines 55, 77 and 88, respectively, of" Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is afragmentary plan view of stop mechanism which I employ.

Fig. lOis a fragmentary enlarged View of a selector or control wheel employed in the apparatus.

Fig. 11 is a still further enlarged View of a fragmentof the wheel shown in'Fig. 10.

Fig. 12is a section taken on the line 12'12 of Fig; 11. 7

Fig. 13 is an enlarged face View of a fragment of the wheel shown in Fig. 10', and

Figs. 14 to 17 inclusive are diagrammatic views illustrating the position of the selector or control members of the selector device for printing the thread in accordance with a simple example given hereinafter.

My improved thread printing apparatus comprises in general a drum A on which the thread is wound in a'single' layer, for eziample, a layer composed of, say, fifty threads in its back and forth travel; drivingi'me'c'hanisin E for rotating the drum' when the printing mechanism is out of operation and driving mechan sm F for rotatmgthe drum in steps .when printing is being effected; The driving mechanism E may be referred to asa skipping mechanism or a mechanism for imparting rotative movement to the drum of greater amplitude than the step movement imparted to the drum by the driving mechanism F. v

The driven gear C is rigidly secured on the drum shaft 27 on which the drum A is securely fastened and the gear 0 may be driven by any suitable driving mechanism adapted to be thrown into and out of operation. As soon as a layer" of thread is wound ring.

spaced ratchet teeth 33,

across the face of the drum, the driving mechanism is thrown out of operation.

It is pointed out that when thread is being wound onto the drum the other mechanisms of the apparatus above referred to are put into their neutral positions through the medium of suitable clutch arrangements to be fully described hereinafter. In particular reference to the pinion 28 shown in Figures 1 and 2, this pinion is shifted out of mesh with the internal gear 29 of the drum when the thread winding operation is taking place by moving it with its shaft 30 to the left as viewed in Figure 1. A handle 31 is provided for this purpose, which handle may be detachably secured to the frame of the machine when the pinion is in meshed position.

The various mechanisms for accomplishing the printing of transverse stripes of various colors in proper order across the layer of thread on the drum will now be described.

Referring first to the driving mechanisi F for rotating the drum in uniform steps, i. e., in a plurality of intermittent rotative movements, it will be seen that a ratchet ring 32 is provided adjacent the periphery of the drum and at an edge thereof, which ratchet ring has a multiplicity of evenly say, for example, hundred and fifty. A ratchet pawl 34 is adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet The pawl 3st is operated to engage a tooth of the ring, rotate it with the drum a distance equal to the spacing of the teeth,

then ratchet back to engage the next tooth, then advance the drum another notch and so on.

The pawl is operated from a cam 35 which actuates the pawl through suitable lever mechanism, in this instance comprising a lever 36 pivoted at 87 and having a cam roller 38 at one end contacting with the cam face and connected at its other end to an arm other end to the frame of the machine.

39 by means of link 40. The arm 39 is pivoted at 41 and has connected thereto a second arm 42 on which the pawl 34 is pivoted as indicated at 43. The link connection 40 may be adjusted in slots in the lever 36 and arm The cam lever is maintained in engagement with the cam by means of a spring 44 secured at one end to the lever and at the Two oppositely disposed depressions are provided in the cam surface so that the pawl is operated twice for each revolution of the cam.

The cam 35 is driven from a drive shaft 45 having a pinion 46 mounted thereon meshing with a gear 47 secured on the cam shaft 35a. A clutch K controls the pinion 46 for a purpose hereinafter appearing. The drive the carriage and its supports are as follows: A pair of rails 49 are supported from the frame of the machine below the drum and extend in the axial direction of the drum and .The member 54; is so located that the roll 22 dips into the liquid in the well 51.

Back and forth movement of the carriage B is effected by means of an oscillating gear sector 57 engaging with a pinion 58 secured on a shaft 59. The shaft 59 carries a drum 60 around which a rope or cable 61 is wound for several turns, the cable being secured at its end 62 to one end of the carriage frame and at its other end 63 to the other end of the carriage frame, the cable, however, first passing over a pulley 64: mounted in a fixed support, such as a bracket 65 secured to the rails.

The gear sector 57 is oscillated by means of a. crank 57a and connecting rod 576, the crank in this instance being carried by the cam shaft 35a. Thus it will be seen that when the cam shaft rotates, the printing carriage with its printing roll traverses the face of the large drum A so that stripes. of color are deposited on the thread by the printing roll which is in spring pressed contact with the thread. The printing roll 22 is positively rotated as by means of a cable 66 passing around a pulley 67 having driving connection with the roll. The cable 66 is fastened at both ends to a fixed part of the machine. It is pointed out that the cam 35, the crank 57a, and the length of travel of the carriage relative to the width of the drum A are so calculated that the rotation of the drum by the mechanism F does not start until the roll 22 is out of contact with the thread and is completed before the roll again contacts with the thread.

The apparatus as thus far described would only take care of printing a multiplicity of transverse stripes of the same color across the layer of threads, the spacing of which would correspond to the spacing of the teeth of the ratchet ring 32 and with close spacing of the teeth would result in substantially solid coloring of the layer of thread. However,'since I propose to print stripes of different colors on the layer of thread in various arrangements according to the requirements for producing a desired design in the material into which the thread is ultimately to be fabricated, I have provided mechanisms cooperating with the above to make this possible.

For example, it may be desired to employ four different colorsred, green, black, and blue-and the ultimate design to be produced 7 may require that the layer of thread be printthe stripes of one color in their proper spacing for the entire circumference of the drum. This," ofcourse, means that spaces-must be left between the stripes to accommodate the remaining colors. The means for selecting the points where stripes are to be printed and for causing skipping where spaces are to be left will be'described presently. After having printed one color I lift out the removable well 51 and its printing roll and insert a well and roll containing coloring liquid of the next color and then resume printing Stripes of this color in proper spacing relative to the first stripes, and so on until all of the colors have been printed.

The selector or control mechanism just above referred to may comprise a wheel G rigidly secured'to the drum shaft 27 from which it will be seen that the wheel G rotates with the drum and at the same speed thereof.

Referring now more particularly to- Figs.

10 to 13 inclusive, the wheel G is provided with a multiplicity of selector or control devices 74, in this instance in the form of simple pins. I prefer to mount the pins 74 in a ring 7 5 which is readily detachable from the wheel G, and for this purpose I provide an annular shoulder 76 at the rim of the wheel against which the ring is clamped as by means of suitable clips 77. The ring 75 is provided with a multiplicity of circularly arranged holes for the pins 74, which holes may be located from the ratchet teeth 33,

there being one hole for each tooth. The pins may be retained in the holes in any suitable manner as, for example, by a force fit.

Assuming, now, that it is desired to print the thread in four colors in accordance with the example given above, the operator will set the selector or control mechanism for the printing of the first color, which, in the example given, may be red. According to the preferred form of my invention I employ a separate ring 75 for each color to be printed, and, therefore, I have illustrated in Figs. 14 to 17 a fragment of each of the four rings to be employed, in the present example, Fig. 14 being for red, Fig. 15 for green, Fig. 16 for black and Fig. 17 for blue. The manner in which these rings control the apparatus will appear fully hereinafter.

, Referring to Fig. 14, it will be seen that nine blank holes are left between the pins, or, stated in another way, pins are secured in holes N ds. 1, 11, 21, etc. The operator may be provided with a chart for convenience in locating the pins.

After'the ring of Fig. '14hasbeen secured on the wheel G, and, ofcourse, aired ink roll and well placed in the printing carriage B, the operator starts the machine by moving an operating bar 78 (see Figs. 2 and 9) to cause engagement of a clutch L comprising a member 7 9 splined on a shaft 80' and a clutch member 81 carried by an idly mounted belt driven pulley 82 which efiects drive from the pulley to the shaft through the clutch. The shaft 80 also carries a loose pinion 83 adapted to'be drivinglyconnected to the shaft by means of a clutch M. The pinion 83 meshes with a gear'85 secured'on a shaft 86. sprocket wheel '87 is secured on the shaft 86 and drive is transmitted from this shaft to another shaft 88 by means of the sprocket wheel 87, chain 89 and sprocket wheel 90. The shaft 88 has a bevel gear 91 rigidly secured thereon which meshes with a bevel gear 92 on a vertical shaft 93. Drive is trans mitted from the shaft 93 to the shaft 30 by means of bevel gears 94.

It will thus be seen that when the clutches L and M are engaged drive is transmitted from the shaft 80 to the drum A. through the medium of the transmission just described, including the pinion 28 and internal gear 29. The clutch M andthe clutch K hereinbefore mentioned are controlled by the selector or control wheel G as will now appear.

Referring now-more particularly to Fig. 2,-the selector wheel G is shown in a position so that blank holes are presentedto a bell crank lever 95 pivoted on the bracket 96 7 at 97 and carrying a roller 98 on one of its arms and having a link 99connected to its other arm. It may be assumed that a selector pin is located in the hole indicated at 100 in Fig. 2.

IVith the bell crank lever 95 in the position illustrated, the clutch M will be engaged and the clutch K disengaged because of the following provisions. The link 99 is connected 1 to the bell crank lever at one end and at-its other end to an arm 101 secured on a shaft or rod 102 supported in a bracket 103. The shaft 102 also has an arm 104 secured thereon, which arm has a bifurcated end 105 for straddling the lower end portion of a movable bar 106 which is carried by a lever 107 secured on a rock shaft 108 mounted in a fixcd'bracket 109. The bar 106 is guided for up and down movement in the lever 107 at 110. The rock shaft 108' also has a clutch operating yoke 111 secured thereon, which yoke is provided with pins 112 operating in an annular groove of the movable member of the clutch K. i

The lower end of the lever 107 is connected to the lower end of a centrally pivoted lever 113 by means of a link 114 and the upper end of the lever 113 is connected to the lower end of a lever 115 by means of a link 116. The lever 115 is secured to'a rock shaft 117 sup ported in a fixed bracket 118. A clutch operating yoke 119 is also secured to the rock shaft 117 and is provided with pins operating in an annular' groove of the movable 111G111- berof the clutch LI.

Following through the lever system just described and assuming that the selector wheel G is rotating in the direction of the arrow in Fig 2, it will be seen that when the pin located in the hole 100 engages the roller 96 of the bell crank lever 95, the bell crank lever is rocked in a direction to pull on the link 99 which causes the arms 101 and 104 to move downwardly. The arm 104 in its downward movement engages a pin 120 on the bar 106 and moves the bar downwardly to clear a pair of cams 121 carried by the cam shaft gear 47. As soon as the clearance at 122, afforded by a slot 123, is taken up (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5) by the downward movement of the bar 106, a screw 124 carried by the lever 107 is engaged which causes the lever 107 with its rock shaft 108 to rock in a direction to move the clutch operating yoke 111 to the right, thus causing engagement of the clutch K. Upon engagement of the clutch K the pinion 46 is clutched to the shaft 45 to receive drive therefrom. The pinion then rotates the gear 47 and the pawl 34 is operated in the manner hereinbefore mentioned.

At the same time that the clutch K is thus engaged, the clutch M is disengaged because of the lever and link connections 114, 113, 116, 115 and 119. The ratchet operation of the drum continues as long as controlling pins are presented to the bell crank lever, and in the case of only one pin being presented at a time, as when employing the control ring of Fig. 14, only one ratchet movement takes place at a time.

With the clutch M disengaged and the clutch K engaged, the printing device B is operated to travel back and forth and the drum is rotated by ratchet or step by step movement, all as above described, it being noted that the drive shaft 45 is common to the devices B and F.

As soon as the pin has passed the roller 98, the bell crank lever 95'is spring returned to the position shown in Fig. 2, which causes the bar 106 to move upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, in which position the bar will be in the path of the cams 121. As soon as the cam surface 125 of the nearest cam comes around (see Fig. 6), it engages the bar and positively rocks the lever 107 with its associated parts in a direction to disengage clutch K and engage clutch M. The cams are also provided with stop shoulders 126 adapted to engage the block to stop the wheel 47 and then rotation of the drum is caused by the pinion 28 and internal gear 29, the pinion 28 receiving its drive from the shaft 80 through the medium of the transmission above described.

With the stopping of the wheel 47 the back and forth motion of the printing carriage is stopped, as is also the intermittent or step by step movement of the drum A and the drum'rotates in continuous movement until another selector pin is presented to the bell crank lever 95. Thus it will be seen that a great saving in time is obtained by means of the skipping mechanism which causes the drum to rotate relatively fast from one position of print to the next. In the particular example given above, nine spaces are skipped between prints of red color, seven bet-ween prints of green, eight between prints of black and six between prints of blue. With six hundred and fifty total spaces considerable time would be consumed if ratchet movement were employed throughout the operation and it is evident, therefore, that by quickly skipping by the spaces where no print is to occur, the time of operation will be greatly shortened.

If it is desired to stop all operations for example, as would be the case at the end of all of the prints, the operating bar 78 is moved in a direction to disengage the clutch members 7 9 and 81, thus causing the pulley 82 to run idle.

In order that such a stopping may be automatically effected when all prints for one color have been completed, i. e., for one revolution of the drum, lemploy a stop pin or lug 127 on the driven gear C which is adapted to engage a resilient projecting memher 128 on a bar 129 connected to the operating yoke 130 of the movable clutch member 7 9. Referring particularly to Fig. 9, it is obvious that when the lug 127 engages the member 128, the clutch will be disengaged.

After one color has been printed for a complete revolution, the selector ring just used is replaced by a selector ring for the next color, and the well and ink roll is replaced y a Welland roll for the next color. In the example given the ring of Fig. 14 may be employed first, that of Fig. 15 second, that of Fig. 16 third, and that of Fig. 17 last.

Although I prefer to employ a different control or selector ring for each color, it is to be understood 1 also contemplate employing selector pins or members which are readily removable from and attachable to the control wheel so that only onewheel or ring need be employed, and in which case the pins will be rearranged in the proper order as the various colors are printed.

By employing separate rings the pins may be set at any convenient time. For example, the machine may be operating on one ring while the pins of the other rings are being set. Thus selections may be carefully checked without holding up the machine. One operator is enabled to take care of a number of machines because of the automatic nature thereof.

.7 'A hand operated ratchet wheel 131 may be providedon the pinion shaft 30 for the pur pose of rotating the drum by hand, as this may be desirable when setting the machine up for operation. a An operating handle 132 pivoted on the shaft 30-and carrying a pawl 133 engaging the ratchet wheel is provided for effecting said hand operation.

Although I have given an example in which four colors are employed and in which the colors would be printed in' a certain order, it is to be understood that a greater number of colorsmay be employed and printed in any order desired in accordance with the setting of the selector members of the selector device, for the device is capable of being set to impart steps of varying amplitude to the drum in any predetermined arrangement or successive order.

I claim V 1. Thread printing apparatus comprising a thread carrying drum; means for selectively imparting rotative movement to the drum in steps of predetermined amplitude including a member connectedto said drum to rotate therewith and at the same speed thereof, selector means carried by said member, driving means for the drum, and means operated on by the selector means for controlling the driving means; and a device for printing transverse stripes of color on the thread carried by the drum.

2. Thread printing apparatus comprising a thread carrying drum; means for selectively imparting rotative movement to the drum in steps of predetermined amplitude including a wheel connected to said drum to rotate therewith and at the same speed thereof, se lector means carried by said wheel, and means operated by the selector means to rotate the drum in steps the amplitudes of which are determined by the setting of the selector means.

3. Thread printing apparatus comprising a thread carrying drum, a shaft on which said drum is mounted, a selector Wheel mounted on said shaft, means for rotating said shaft with its drum and wheel, means for controlling the rotative movement imparted by said rotating means, selector means carried by said wheel, said controlling means including an.

4. Thread printing apparatus comprising a shaft, athread carrying drum mounted on said shaft, a selector wheel mounted on said. shaft, detachable selector members carried by said wheel, means for rotating said drum,

a shaft, a thread carrying drum mounted on said shaft, a selector wheel mounted on said shaft having a plurality of apertures substan tially equally spaced circumferentially of the Wheel, detachable selector members adapted to be mounted in said apertures, the num- 1,

her of selector members and the relativelocation thereof in the wheel being predetermined, means for rotating said drum, means controlling the rotation of said rotating means through the medium of the selector l-i members, and a device for printing transverse stripes of color on the thread carried by the drum. Y

6. Thread printing apparatus comprising a shaft, a thread carrying drum mountedon said shaft, a selector wheel mounted on said shaft having a plurality of apertures substantially equally spaced circumferentially of the wheel, detachable selector members adapted'to be mounted in said apertures, the numher of selector members and the relative location thereof in the wheel being predetermined, means for rotating saidjdrum, means controlling the rotation of said rotating means through the medium of theselector members including a control. member normally positioned in the path of rotation of the selector members and operating to cause rotation through short distances when selector members are presented 7 and rotation through longer distances when spaces left by omitted selector members are presented, and a device for printing transverse stripes of color on the thread carried by the drum.

7. Thread printing apparatus comprising a shaft, a thread'carryin g drum mounted on said shaft, when mounted on said shaft provided with spaced controlling devices, means operated by said devices for intermittently turning said drum to prescribed different printing positions, and a device for printing transverse stripes of color onthe thread carried by the drum. I Y 1 8. Thread printing apparatus comprising a shaft, a thread carrying drum mounted on said shaft, a wheel mountedon said shaft provided with circularly arranged pins spaced 'various distances apart, means operated by said pins for intermittently turning said drum to prescribed different printing positions, and a device for printing transverse stripes of color on the thread carried by the drum, 7

"9. Thread printing apparatus comprising a shaft, a thread carrying drum mounted on said shaft, a wheel mounted on said shaft providedwitha plurality of circularly ar ranged; evenly spaced apertures, controlling devicesv mounted in certain of the apertures, 9

means operated by said devices for intermittently turning said drum to prescribed different printing positions, and a device for 1 printing transverse stripes of color on the ring detachably secured to said wheel and means for rotating the drum in steps, gear provided with spaced controlling devices, means operated by said device for intermittently turning said drum to prescribed difierent printing positions and a device for print- 7 ing transverse stripes of color on thethread carried by the drum.

11. Thread printing apparatus including a thread carrying drum, pawl and ratchet means for rotating the drum in steps, gear means for rotating the drum in continuous movement of greater amplitude than step movement, a wheel connected to said drum to rotate therewith and at the same speed thereof, said wheel being provided with spaced controlling devices, means operated by said devices to effect rotation of the drum alternately through the medium of the pawl and ratchet means or the gear means, the duration of either movement being determined by the controlling devices, and a device for printing transverse stripes of color on the thread carried by the drums.

12. In thread printing apparatus including a drum carrying a layer of thread to be printed, a printing device for printing transverse stripes of color on said layer and means for rotating the drum in steps corresponding in number to the number of stripes to be printed, the combination of power means for rotating the drum in continuous movement of greater amplitude than step movement, and selective means operating to select either step by step or continuous movement for the drum, including a wheel in direct connection 7 with the drum and provided with spaced selector members. v

13. In thread printing apparatus including a drum carrying a layer of thread to be printed, a printing device for printing transverse stripes of color on said layer, and means for rotating said drum in steps corresponding in number to the number of stripes to be printed, the combination of power means for rotating the drum in continuous movement of greater amplitude than step movement, and a selector wheel provided with spaced selective controlling de-v vices, said wheel being connected to the drum to rotate therewith, and said selective controlling devices operating to effect either stepby-step or continuous movement of the drum.

14. Thread printing apparatus including a thread carrying drum, pawl and ratchet means for rotating the drum in continuous movement of greater amplitude than step movement, a selector wheel connected to the drum to rotate therewith and having spaced selective controlling devices for determining which movement is to be imparted to the.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

DANIEL BUTLER BONNER. 

